I-Corps: Sketch It Make It

Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA

Investigators

Abstract

Rapid fabrication machines like laser cutters and 3D printers are becoming essential to designers seeking to quickly iterate on product prototypes. When designing for these machines, people typically sketch on paper while in the early stages of design, and later, laboriously enter their work to a Computer Aided Design (CAD) tool. However, current design software is hard to use, has a steep learning curve, and its user interface is typically poorly suited to the exploratory nature of rapid prototyping. These problems impose a barrier for many people: students, DIY Makers, and occasional rapid fabrication machine users may be locked out completely. This team's proposed innovation is embodied in a sketch-based design tool called Sketch It, Make It. The tool's paper-like interface lets designers move from idea to CAD without foregoing the advantages of sketching. The team's prototype employs a dozen unique sketch-based interaction techniques that enable designers to work roughly, without requiring precision before details are known or relevant. Whereas most current work on sketch-based modeling focuses on recognizing entire drawn scenes, this software recognizes small portions at a time, incrementally. User testing with our prototype suggests this conversational form of recognition works well. The recent explosion of low-cost rapid prototyping hardware echoes a similar explosion of desktop inkjet and laser printers in the 1990s. That desktop printing revolution enabled millions of citizens to produce documents of all types without the aid of costly graphic design and printing experts. Similarly rapid fabrication hardware has potential to "democratize" the production of manufactured goods, but only if citizens have tools that enable them to design. Sketch It, Make It (and the sketch-based interaction on which it is based) has the potential to reach several customer segments. First, is a growing population of digital fabrication users who employ laser cutters and other CNC equipment like 3D-printers need more appropriate software to design products. Second, the team sees educational and business applications for the underlying sketch recognition engine that drives Sketch It Make IT. For example, a sketch-based tool could recognize and simulate an engineering student's diagram. By making design more accessible to a greater segment of the population the team aims to empower people to take an active role in designing and creating the world around them.